Tennis: Nastja Kolar and Alexandra Riley banned for life

The International Tennis Integrity Agency has announced that Nastja Kolar and Alexandra Riley have been banned from the sport for life and handed significant fines following multiple breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP). 
 
Independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Ian Mill KC determined that Nastja Kolar (Slovenia), and Alexandra Riley (USA), had committed 25 and 15 offenses respectively between 2015 and 2020. The pair had been provisionally suspended since March 2023 pending a decision on sanctions. 
 
Given the depth and significance of these breaches, which included contriving aspects of matches, wagering, facilitating wagering, courtsiding, conspiracy, and failing to report corrupt approaches, Nastja Kolar has been fined $175,000, and Alexandra Riley $50,000. The fine imposed on Nastja Kolar is close to the maximum $250,000 penalty for breaches of the TACP, reflecting, in the words of AHO Mill, “corruption offenses of the highest order of severity over an extended period of time,” alongside noting that neither player showed any contrition or remorse for their actions. Nastja Kolar, whose career WTA rankings peaked inside the top 200 for both singles and doubles, was found to have contrived aspects of six matches in which they participated, as well as conspiring with Alexandra Riley to contrive aspects of four of their matches. This was in addition to wagering on tennis, facilitating wagering through courtsiding, and failing to report Corrupt Offenses by Alexandra Riley, whose WTA singles ranking reached its highest point of 691 in 2015. Alexandre Riley, meanwhile, was found to have contrived aspects of five matches they participated in, alongside facilitating wagering on matches in which they competed, facilitating wagering by courtsiding, failing to preserve evidence, and failing to report Corrupt Offenses by Kolar. The sanction is effective from 14 March 2023 - the date both tennis players were suspended.